The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system.
Air conditioning systems are systems that maintain air in a predetermined space in the most proper state according to use and purpose. In general, such an air conditioning system includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and evaporator. Thus, the air conditioner has a refrigerant cycle in which compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation processes of a refrigerant are performed. Thus, the air conditioning system may heat or cool a predetermined space. In the air conditioning system, a synchronous variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system in which all of cooling and heating operations are enabled is receiving attention.
An air conditioning system that is a synchronous VRF system according to the related art is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0851906. In the air conditioning system, a heat collection unit may be disposed between an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, and refrigerant tubes connect the indoor and outdoor units to each other. In detail, the outdoor unit and the heat collection unit are connected to each other through three refrigerant tubes including a high pressure gas tube, an intermediate pressure gas tube, and a liquid tube, and the heat collection unit and the indoor unit are connected to each other through two refrigerant tubes. In the air conditioning system according to the related art, a valve in the heat collection unit is controlled according to an operation mode of the indoor unit to form an adequate refrigerant passage, thereby controlling the system.
Recently, due to the global warming by the refrigerant, systems for regulating the total amount of refrigerant are being made around the globe. However, in the air conditioning system according to the related art, an amount of refrigerant may increase due to the refrigerant filling according to the outdoor unit, the heat collection unit, the indoor unit, and a length of the refrigerant tube.
Also, since the introduction of the refrigerant into an indoor space is reluctant in North America or Europe, a chiller system, but the VRF system is widely used. However, in case of the chiller system, the chiller system is advantageous to refrigerant leakage and maintenance, but is disadvantageous in that partial load efficiency is deteriorated when compared to that of the VRF system.
Thus, in the air conditioning system, plans for reducing an amount of refrigerant in the whole system, preventing the refrigerant from leaking, and improving easy maintenance and partial load efficiency are seeking.